Open letter to the Register/Secretary General, Nursing and Midwifery council of Nigeria Nurse (Alh) Umar Faruk AbubakarDate Posted: 10/Jun/2018

Sir,

The Need for Nursing and Midwifery Education Reform as Federal Government scraps Higher National Diploma

The Nursing profession is one of the most important clinical and Sub clinical Health profession worldwide and need of Standard Educational Structure in line with the Global best practice must be emphasized. This will not Only lead to integrated patient and public health outcome, but also to strengthen Nursing and Midwifery career in civil service and General perception.

We Recognized the Selfless and tireless efforts by the Registrar/Secretary General of Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria towards quantifying the Basic Nursing qualification for the first time in history from the traditional Unquantified professional certificate, which pose a great challenge to the profession in terms of career progression and Educational advancement, which also lead to avoidable prostration to Nursing/Midwifery professionals towards the above mentioned problems.

Nigerian Nurses and midwives have a great Confidence in your abilities and Capabilities towards piloting the profession to a greater height as was observed and noted since you assumed Office as Registrar/Secretary General.

The Federal government recently scrapped Higher National Diploma (HND) from Nigerian Educational system and issue a Directive that all polytechnics should be under control of a Universities,The Universities are shouldered with the responsibility of appointing the Provosts and can only award Diploma and Bachelor of Technology. A bill is sent to National Assembly for legislative functions and the development is welcomed and celebrated Nationwide.

Nursing and Midwifery Education Need Urgent Reform to suit the current Educational reform to avoid been incarcerated in the era of Old aged Professional and Educational System unlike its peers in Health system example Medical laboratory sciences, physiotherapy among others.

The above Can be achieved via

1. Affiliation of State schools of Nursing to state universities.

2. Affiliation of Hospital based Basic Nursing training to Federal Universities as Colleges under the Teaching Hospital as was Done to Medical and other health professionals.

3. All post Basic training should be Under the Department of Nursing science of university as post graduate Diploma and/or Masters programm.

4. Private and missionary based training program should be registered for Nurse_Assistant programs duely licenced by NMCN or affiliate to universities as mentioned above.

5. Strengthening Professional Post graduate colleges in Nigeria example West African College of Nursing to award professional certificates.

The above recommendations will enable the profession regains its lost glory and virtues as one of the major stakeholders of the Medical team worldwide and also improve Job satisfaction

Nursing and Midwifery council of Nigeria is the only professional body shouldered with the responsibility of maintaining standard in Nursing and Midwifery Education and practice in Nigeria and the need to act promptly by adopting international best practice Should be a major priority, the need to partner with NANNM, NUC, NBTE, Department of Nursing Sciences in Nigerian Universities and all relevant agencies within and outside the country is of high Significance